DOJ Restores Mandatory Minimums While Pentagon Transfers Military Gear to Police

Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded Biden-era DOJ guidance limiting federal prosecutors' use of mandatory minimum sentencing, directing U.S. Attorneys to charge the most serious provable offense in all cases. Simultaneously, the Pentagon reactivated the 1033 Program transfer of surplus military equipment to local law enforcement agencies, reversing Obama-era restrictions on armored vehicles and high-caliber weapons. The twin actions reversed two decades of criminal justice reform consensus without congressional legislation.